What's on TV? Wednesday, January 15, 1969

Here we are in Philadelphia, and while there's nothing on today that would occupy a place in television history, I like this lineup. Even though we're only a year from the start of the '70s, today's programming strikes me as being firmly rooted in the '60s, if that makes sense. Although there were listings for other cities in Pennsylvania (Harrisburg, York, Lancaster), only the network listings were included; no percentage in including them. Anyway, see them for yourself.

	3  KYW (NBC)
	Morning
	6:05	FARM MARKET REPORT
	6:10	NEWS
	6:15	COMMUNICATION IS
	6:45	FARM, HOME AND GARDEN   COLOR
	6:55	TODAY IN PHILADELPHIA
	7:00	TODAY   COLOR  Guests: Edward Tatum, Aline Sarrinen. tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.
	9:00	CONTACT—Interview   COLOR
	10:00	SNAP JUDGMENT   COLOR  Guests: Shari Lewis, Joe Garagiola
	10:25	NEWS—Dickerson   COLOR
	10:30	CONCENTRATION   COLOR
	11:00	PERSONALITY—Game   COLOR  Celebrities: Peter Lawford, Julie Newmar, George Hamilton, Pearl Bailey
	11:30	HOLLYWOOD SQUARES   COLOR  Players: Kaye Ballard, Gypsy Rose Lee, Paul Lynde, Greg Morris, Jan Murray, Donna Jean Young, Wally Cox, Charley Weaver, Abby Dalton
	Afternoon
	12:00	NEWS, WEATHER   COLOR
	12:30	MIKE DOUGLAS   COLOR
	2:00	DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial   COLOR
	2:30	DOCTORS—Serial   COLOR
	3:00	ANOTHER WORLD   COLOR
	3:30	YOU DON’T SAY!—Game   COLOR  Guests: Marge Redmond, Brian Kelly
	4:00	MATCH GAME   COLOR  Guests: Soupy Sales, Fannie Flagg
	4:30	MERV GRIFFIN   COLOR  Guest: Karen Morrow
	Evening
	6:00	NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS   COLOR
	6:30	NEWS—Chet Huntley, David Brinkley   COLOR
	7:00	NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS   COLOR
	7:30	VIRGINIAN—Western   COLOR
	9:00	MUSIC HALL   COLOR  Host: Jack Jones. Guests: Debbie Reynolds, Godfrey Cambridge, Johnny Cash
	10:00	BLUE MINORITY—Report   SPECIAL    COLOR
	11:00	NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS   COLOR
	11:30	JOHNNY CARSON   COLOR

Blue Minority asks about "the function of the police in a democratic society," a particularly relevant question in the late '60—and today, for that matter. The documentary focuses on the Boston Police Department; I think that department has had a reputation for being both racist and corrupt, although I don't know if this program deals with it. 

	6  WFIL (ABC)
	Morning
	6:30	OPERATION ALPHABET
	7:00	WORLD AROUND US   COLOR
	8:00	POPEYE THEATER   COLOR
	9:00	ON CAMERA   COLOR
	9:25	PAUL HARVEY   COLOR
	9:30	GREATEST SHOW—Drama   COLOR
	10:25	CONNIE ROUSSIN
	10:30	DICK CAVETT   COLOR  Guests: Agnes Moorehead, Mariene Shaw
	Afternoon
	12:00	BEWITCHED—Comedy
	12:30	FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK—Game   COLOR
	12:55	CHILDREN’S DOCTOR   COLOR
	1:00	DREAM HOUSE   COLOR
	1:30	MAKE A DEAL   COLOR
	2:00	TELEVISION KITCHEN   COLOR
	2:30	DATING GAME   COLOR
	3:00	GENERAL HOSPITAL—Serial   COLOR
	3:30	JERRY’S PLACE   COLOR
	4:00	DARK SHADOWS   COLOR
	4:30	I LOVE LUCY—Comedy
	5:00	STEVE ALLEN—Variety   COLOR  Guests: Leonard Nimoy, Charley Weaver, Henson Cargill, Alexis Linchine
	Evening
	6:00	NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS   COLOR
	6:30	NEWS—Frank Reynolds   COLOR
	7:00	WHAT’S MY LINE—Game   COLOR  Panelists: Soupy Sales, Peggy Cass, Bert Convy, Arlene Francis
	7:30	HERE COME THE BRIDES   COLOR
	8:30	PEYTON PLACE—Serial   COLOR
	9:00	MOVIE—Drama “Compulsion” (1959)
	11:00	NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS   COLOR
	11:30	JOEY BISHOP   COLOR
	1:00	WESTERNERS—Drama

What a menagerie of programming: Here Come the Brides, Peyton Place, and the movie Compulsion. A little something for everyone, I guess.

	8  WGAL (LANCASTER) (NBC)
	Morning
	7:00	TODAY   COLOR  Guests: Edward Tatum, Aline Sarrinen. Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.
	9:00	MIKE DOUGLAS—Variety   COLOR  Guests: Cliff Robertson, Gwen Verdon, London Lee
	10:00	SNAP JUDGMENT   COLOR  Guests: Shari Lewis, Joe Garagiola
	10:25	NEWS—Dickerson   COLOR
	10:30	CONCENTRATION   COLOR
	11:00	PERSONALITY—Game   COLOR  Celebrities: Peter Lawford, Julie Newmar, George Hamilton, Pearl Bailey
	11:30	HOLLYWOOD SQUARES   COLOR  Players: Kaye Ballard, Gypsy Rose Lee, Paul Lynde, Greg Morris, Jan Murray, Donna Jean Young, Wally Cox, Charley Weaver, Abby Dalton
	Afternoon
	12:00	NOONDAY ON 8   COLOR
	12:30   12:55	EYE GUESS—Game   COLOR   NEWS
	1:00	TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES—Game   COLOR
	1:30	HIDDEN FACES   COLOR
	2:00	DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial   COLOR
	2:30	DOCTORS—Serial   COLOR
	3:00	ANOTHER WORLD   COLOR
	3:30	YOU DON’T SAY!—Game   COLOR  Guests: Marge Redmond, Brian Kelly
	4:00	MATCH GAME   COLOR  Guests: Soupy Sales, Fannie Flagg
	4:30	MERV GRIFFIN   COLOR  Guest: Karen Morrow
	Evening
	6:00	NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS   COLOR
	6:30	NEWS—Chet Huntley, David Brinkley   COLOR
	7:00	AMERICA!—Travel   COLOR
	7:30	VIRGINIAN—Western   COLOR
	9:00	MUSIC HALL   COLOR  Host: Jack Jones. Guests: Debbie Reynolds, Godfrey Cambridge, Johnny Cash
	10:00	OUTSIDER—Crime Drama   COLOR
	11:00	NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS   COLOR
	11:30	JOHNNY CARSON   COLOR
	1:00	NEWS

I'd never heard of Hidden Faces prior to this issue, and after looking at Wikipedia I now know why: this soaper was only on the air for six months before the plug was pulled. It was the first of NBC's efforts to replace Let's Make a Deal after the game show moved to ABC in a contract dispute. Based around a murder trial, it sounds like it would have been a much better fit in daytime than primetime.

	10 WCAU (CBS)
	Morning
	5:55	NEWS
	6:00	SUNRISE SEMESTER   COLOR
	6:25	NEWS
	6:30	MAJOR AMERICAN WRITERS—Dr. Charles Bassett   COLOR
	7:00	MORNING REPORT
	7:05	NEWS—Joseph Benti   COLOR
	7:30	GENE LONDON   COLOR
	8:00	CAPTAIN KANGAROO   COLOR
	9:00	PIXANNE—Children   COLOR
	9:30	DENNIS THE MENACE—Comedy
	10:00	LUCILLE BALL   COLOR
	10:30	BEVERLY HILLBILLIES   COLOR
	11:00	ANDY GRIFFITH
	11:30	DICK VAN DYKE
	Afternoon
	12:00	LOVE OF LIFE—Serial   COLOR
	12:25	NEWS   COLOR
	12:30	SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial   COLOR
	1:00	FARMER’S DAUGHTER   COLOR
	1:30	AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial   COLOR
	2:00	LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING   COLOR
	2:30	GUIDING LIGHT—Serial   COLOR
	3:00	SECRET STORM—Serial   COLOR
	3:30	EDGE OF NIGHT—Serial   COLOR
	4:00	ART LINKLETTER   COLOR
	4:30	SEA HUNT—Adventure
	5:00	I SPY—Adventure   COLOR
	Evening
	6:00	NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS   COLOR
	7:00	NEWS—Walter Cronkite   COLOR
	7:30	DAKTARI   COLOR  Last show of the series
	8:30	GOOD GUYS   COLOR
	9:00	BEVERLY HILLBILLIES   COLOR
	9:30	GREEN ACRES—Comedy   COLOR
	10:00	HAWAII FIVE-O—Crime Drama   COLOR
	11:00	NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS   COLOR
	11:30	MOVIE—Comedy   COLOR  “Son of Paleface”
	1:30	MOVIE—Western   COLOR  “Apache Drums” (1951)
	3:00	NEWS

Farewell, Daktari. By the way, I wonder how much Son of Paleface contributed to Bob Hope's fortune?

	12 WHYY (WILMINGTON) (NET)
	Morning
	9:10	CLASSROOM (9:10) Art; (9:30) World of Words; (10:05) Jr. High Science; (10:30) R for Rhythm; (10:50) Jr. High Math; (11:20) 4th Grade Spanish; (11:40) Sr. High Biology
	Afternoon
	12:05	LET’S INVESTIGATE
	12:20	LOOKING AT CAREERS
	12:45	FRIENDLY GIANT
	1:00	CLASSROOM—Education (1:00) Franklin to Frost; (1:30) French I; (1:50) French II; (2:30) French III; (2:30) Window Sill World
	2:45	ROUNDABOUT—Children
	3:00	CONCERT 12—Music
	4:00	ROUNDABOUT—Children
	4:15	MERLIN THE MAGICIAN
	4:30	SING HI—SING LOW—Music
	4:45	FRIENDLY GIANT—Children
	5:00	MISTEROGERS—Children
	5:30	WHAT’S NEW—Children
	Evening
	6:00	FRENCH CHEF—Cooking
	6:30	ON GUARD—Instruction
	7:00	HIGH SCHOOL OF THE AIR
	7:30	FOLK GUITAR PLUS
	8:00	ACTORS COMPANY—Drama
	9:00	EASTER EUROPE—Discussion   COLOR
	10:00	WEDNESDAY AT TEN   COLOR
	10:30	BOOK BEAT—Interview Guest: Norman Mailer
	11:00	LOCAL NEWS—Bill Hudson

Norman Mailer is on Book Beat plugging The Armies of the Night, his Pulitzer-winning "non-fiction novel" about the 1967 antiwar march on the Pentagon. 

	17 WPHL (IND.)
	Morning
	10:30	AT YOUR SERVICE   COLOR
	11:00	JACK LA LANNE   COLOR
	11:30	I LED THREE LIVES—Drama
	Afternoon
	12:00	JEOPARDY   COLOR
	12:30	EYE GUESS—Game   COLOR
	12:55	NEWS—Newman   COLOR
	1:00	ONE LIFE TO LIVE   COLOR
	1:30	HIDDEN FACES   COLOR
	2:00	DR. KILDARE—Drama
	3:00	CRUSADER RABBIT   COLOR
	3:15	ROCKY AND HIS FRIENDS—Children   COLOR
	3:30	PRINCE PLANET—Children
	4:00	JOHNNY CYPHER   COLOR
	4:15	ROCKY AND HIS FRIENDS—Children   COLOR
	4:30	MARINE BOY—Children   COLOR
	5:00	EIGHTH MAN—Children
	5:30	SPEED RACER   COLOR
	Evening
	6:00	GILLIGAN’S ISLAND—Comedy   COLOR
	6:30	TWILIGHT ZONE—Drama
	7:00	COLLEGE BASKETBALL   COLOR  Pittsburgh vs. Temple at Philadelphia
	8:45	COLLEGE BASKETBALL   COLOR  Villanova vs. Penn at Philadelphia
	10:30	M SQUAD—Police
	11:00	ONE STEP BEYOND—Drama
	11:30	MOVIE—Drama “The Long Night” (1947)

A big basketball night, with three of Philadelphia's "Big 5" in action at the legendary Palestra. This doubleheader would be quite a treat.

	29 WIBF (IND.)
	Morning
	10:00	STOCK MARKET REPORT
	11:00	STOCK MARKET REPORT
	11:30	WOMAN’S VIEW—Stock Market
	Afternoon
	12:00	STOCK MARKET REPORT
	1:00	STOCK MARKET REPORT
	2:00	STOCK MARKET REPORT
	3:00	STOCK MARKET REPORT
	4:00	MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY
	4:30	MATCHES AND MATES   COLOR
	5:00	PDQ—Game   COLOR
	5:30	F TROOP—Comedy
	Evening
	6:00	BATMAN—Adventure   COLOR
	6:30	LOST IN SPACE—Adventure
	7:30	HONEYMOONERS—Comedy
	8:00	MOVIE—Western “Guns of Nevada” (Italian; 1967)
	10:00	RAWHIDE—Western
	11:00	ADVENTURES IN PARADISE

The precursor to CNBC, perhaps?

	48 WKBS (IND.)
	Morning
	11:25	NEWS   COLOR
	11:30	MICKEY MOUSE CLUB
	Afternoon
	12:00	ROMPER ROOM   COLOR
	12:30	CARTOONS—Children   COLOR
	1:00	MOVIE—Drama “Twelve O’clock High” (1949) Interrupted for “Dialing for Dollars”
	3:00	KIMBA—Children   COLOR
	3:30	HUCK AND YOGI   COLOR
	4:00	SUPERMAN—Adventure
	4:30	LITTLE RASCALS—Comedy
	5:00	FLINTSTONES   COLOR
	5:30	MUNSTERS—Comedy
	Evening
	6:00	McHALE’S NAVY—Comedy
	6:30	PERRY MASON—Mystery
	7:30	PAY CARDS!—Game   COLOR
	8:00	TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES—Game   COLOR
	8:30	DONALD O’CONNOR—Variety   COLOR  Guests: James Mason, Lee Grant, Dick Kallman, Colvin and Wilder, Jody Miller
	10:30	ALFRED HITCHCOCK—Drama
	11:00	OUTER LIMITS—Science Fiction
	12:00	NEWS   COLOR

It occurs to me that while their schedules would fit right in with any of our retro-themed networks nowadays, these independent stations aren't showing "classic TV," at least not the way they would have thought of it. They're just showing the available shows of the time: their versions of Last Man Standing, King of Queens, Mike & Molly, Rules of Engagement. To them, The Outer Limits was no big deal; it had been on the network less than five years ago. It goes to show that everything is relative, and speaking of which: will there even be retro networks twenty years from now? And will people look back at those "classic" shows with the same affection that we do with ours? TV